In a much-needed turnaround, defending champions England secured a resounding victory against the Netherlands in Match 40 of the ODI World Cup 2023. The thrilling encounter unfolded at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, leaving cricket fans on the edge of their seats.
England’s campaign in this World Cup has been far from ideal, with a series of disappointing performances. However, they finally found their rhythm against the Netherlands, winning by a convincing margin of 160 runs.
Jonny Bairstow continued his struggle, falling for just 15 runs despite hitting a couple of boundaries. Dawid Malan, on the other hand, played a crucial innings, scoring 87 off 74 balls. His aggressive strokeplay included 10 fours and 2 sixes before he was run out by the Netherlands’ Logan Van Beek. Joe Root, who had been inconsistent in previous games, got a start but couldn’t capitalize, bowled by Van Beek for 28 runs.
Ben Stokes shines under pressure!
The spotlight, as usual, fell on Ben Stokes, who delivered a scintillating century. Stokes blazed his way to 108 runs off 84 balls, anchoring England’s innings. Unfortunately, England’s skipper had another disappointing outing, departing for just 5 runs. Chris Woakes played a crucial role in bolstering England’s total. His brisk 51 off 45 balls helped England post a challenging target of 339 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.
The Netherlands began their chase with intent, but England’s bowlers struck early blows. None of the Dutch batsmen managed to reach the half-century mark. Spin duo Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid wreaked havoc, picking up 3 wickets each. Their disciplined bowling dismantled the Netherlands’ batting lineup.
Ben Stokes’ brilliant century earned him the Player of the Match award. His composed innings under pressure was the highlight of the game.
With this victory, England breaks a five-match losing streak, breathing new life into their campaign.The defending champions now occupy the 7th position in the points table, keeping their hopes alive for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Cricket enthusiasts worldwide eagerly await the next twists and turns in this enthralling World Cup. England’s resurgence adds drama to an already intense tournament!
See how fans have reacted:
Thank you Ben stokes pic.twitter.com/zi2X4TSu2v
— Cricket Polls (@CricPollsdaily) November 8, 2023
This isn't good for Pakistan 🤥😅🥹🥺😳
— Abdullah majid 🇵🇰 (@abdullah_hmajid) November 8, 2023
On Sunday, they will crush Pak 😂
— Vocal Canadian Desi (@VocalCanadaDesi) November 8, 2023
Definitely they will beat Pakistan
— Preethi (@Preethi_cute_69) November 8, 2023
We are thinking about 2023 and they are thinking about 2025. WOW.
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952_) November 8, 2023
For a moment I forgot they were out of the World Cup as I read "they were in contention for..."
— Febin (@febinvthomas) November 8, 2023
England Wins by 160 runs will give a massive confidence before Pakistan clash.They have played and expressed themselves the way we know them and they succeeded .I know it's the Netherlands but it will give them a trust to play in the same manner against pak and qualify for the…
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) November 8, 2023
Next target is Pakistan 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Z5nJmw9egv
— ƤƘMƘƁ ƠƑƑƖƇƖƛԼ (@PKMKB_93K) November 8, 2023